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About the Bagatelle Museum

Welcome to the Bagatelle Museum! We're an on-line museum of shopping bags, exceptional business cards, boxes, and other fun ephemera from global retailers. The collection includes pieces from the 1800s all the way up to the present; from the Ukraine to the U.S.; from the ridiculous to the sublime. We'll be posting something new every few days so be sure to check back in to see what new treasures we've acquired.

Our goal is to celebrate the beauty in the ordinary and the value in the disposable.

Press for the Bagatelle Museum

Bonwit Teller - New York City, 1966

Sadly, Bonwit Teller has gone the way of many of New York's department stores (think B. Altman's, Gimbel's, and Orbach's), but at least we still have that iconic violet pattern to remind us of what once was. Not only do I remember my mother's violet-covered charge card (or charge plate as they used to be called) for "Bonwit's" as we used to call it, but I remember endless violet-covered accessories in our house (cosmetics cases, drawer-liners, etc.) and every other house in 1970s New York. (I have to admit I feel a pang of guilt writing this as I also remember rejoicing when it was announced that Galeries Lafayette would take over the vacated space.) I've heard rumblings about BT making a comeback, but in this economy that seems unlikely.

BTW, hidden in one of the ribbons on this bag, is a small marking that says: "BT1966."

My grandmother used to buy me a bottle of Bonwit's own perfume "Essence of Lilac" every year. It came in a beautiful black bottle. Has anyone else ever heard of this - I can't find reference to it anywhere.

I have a pair of Christian Dior Design by Roger Vivier, that also say Bonwit Teller inside the shoe! They are hand signed & numbered with the size also! They are blk pumps with marc. detail! Anyone know anything about these shoes?Thanks fossvanity1@aol.com I may be interested is selling..

I worked in Bal Harbour Bonwit Teller when it opened, & stayed for just under two years, I loved it & being English the customers were lovely to me. It was a lovely place to work we had a training team from the New York branch. I was lucky enough to sell Alexandra de Markoff cosmetics alas another old company gone.

I also worked there for about 2 years, maybe less, before they closed. What a lovely store and I loved the "boutiques" within the store concept. The elegance of those days has definitely been lost. What a shame.

I purchased one of the Christmas trees that graced the Philadelphia store when it closed. It was covered in bunches of silk violets and gold Christmas balls. I've used that tree in many a window display including those silk violets

Loved the Chicago store and was sad when it closed, anyone know where to buy their signature fragrance? I used the cologne and still remember its light, fresh scent. I too have my charge plate covered in violets.

My mother had everything....the design was just so elegant. She paired it so well with various pieces. The luggage duffel bag comes to mind, I may have been 8 or so. She recently gave me the oversized scarf.